


I Don’t Want To Be Alone Tonight

by Galexis



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Din Djarin Removes the Helmet, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends With Benefits, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, angsty sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:26:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28247607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galexis/pseuds/Galexis
Summary: It’s the painful first night after Grogu’s departure, and Din seeks comfort in a trusted friend.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Cara Dune
Comments: 12
Kudos: 120





	I Don’t Want To Be Alone Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know about y’all, but I’m still processing that finale. What an emotional roller coaster! I know there have been many fics of this kind posted since then, but I just had to get this out of my system. It’s my first time writing a sexy time scene, so I hope you’ll enjoy it. I did put some stars around it, for those who may want to skip that part. Stay strong, everyone! Season 3 is only a year away. 😉
> 
> P.S. The title comes from one of my favorite Sam Smith songs. Now it’s stuck in my head...

After watching the elevator door close through teary eyes, the moments that followed were a blur for Din. At some point, he’d put his helmet back on, gathered his weapons, and helped Cara lift Moff Gideon off of the floor. They made their way to the loading dock as Bo-Katan’s screams echoed in his ears, “Get back here! This is not finished!” He really wanted to tell her to shove the dark saber where the suns don’t shine, but he was still in a fog. Everything was too bright, too loud, and he hurt from the inside out. 

Boba returned to retrieve Fennec, Cara, and Din, plus their unconscious prisoner. Din sat in silence as they journeyed back into the vastness of space. Cara and Fennec filled Boba in on the details, though they didn’t entirely understand the whole Jedi situation. Din was too broken to correct any of their erroneous statements, and wanted nothing more than to disappear completely. He’d lost his ship, his child, and he had no place to call home. Boba turned around to see Din slumped in his seat, and said sympathetically. “I’m sorry, mate. You’ve had a really rough go lately. Listen, Fennec and I are heading back to Tatooine to take care of some unfinished business, and you are welcome to join us.”

Cara interjected, “Actually, I was hoping you could come back to Nevarro for a bit. I’ll need some help putting this prisoner away.” All eyes were on Din, who remained silent, but nodded his head slightly in Cara’s direction. Cara sighed, “I’ll take that as a yes...” 

***********************************

Nevarro was fairly quiet at night. Flickering street lamps lit their path as Din and Cara carted a still-unconscious Moff Gideon to a secure holding cell. A med droid was assigned to watch his vitals through the night, so Din and Cara were officially off duty. Cara knew that Din was exhausted, and since he really had nowhere else to go, she made him an offer. “Hey, so I have a place just a few blocks over, and it has a spare room. You are welcome to crash, if you need.” 

Din stared at his feet, feeling a bit embarrassed at his desperate situation, but ultimately grateful. “Thank you. I’d like that.”

Cara’s apartment was humble, but cozy. The living room was furnished with only 2 soft grey chairs, an end table, and a small lamp. This left plenty of room for Cara’s immense collection of weapons cases, which were stacked against the wall. Just off the living room was a small kitchen, and a hallway leading to a shower-only bathroom and 2 tiny bedrooms. Cara’s bedroom was slightly larger than the guest room, and had a compact computer desk next to the bed. The desk was littered with stacks of paper, and clothes were draped over the chair. 

The guest room was furnished with a full size bed and a night stand, with only a few inches of floor space to spare. This was perfect for Din, as he didn’t have many belongings in the first place. He dropped his weapons in the corner of the room, and started removing his armor, piece by piece, stacking them neatly on the night stand. Cara felt a bit voyeuristic watching him do this, so she offered to get him a towel so that he could shower. 

While he was in the shower, Cara busied herself in her room, straightening the piles on her desk, and tossing the chair clothes into a hamper in the closet. She didn’t often have company, and she’d left in a hurry to help Din rescue the kid, so it’s not like she had time to clean house beforehand. She moved on to the kitchen, stacking the dirty dishes in the sink, and running some hot water over them to let them soak. 

Cara suddenly heard a noise behind her, and spun around to see Din wrapped in not one, but both of her remaining clean towels. One was tucked around his waist, the other was draped over his shoulders and had likely been used to dry his hair. Cara was rendered speechless. This was her first time getting a good look at him, and he was a sight to behold. His skin was the color of honey, though purple bruises were starting to make their way to the surface. His hair fell in espresso waves, and his deep cocoa eyes were still flooded with grief. The thought of him crying in the shower broke Cara’s heart, but she was also mindful of his pride, and didn’t let it show. He cleared his throat and announced softly, “I just wanted to let you know that I was done in the bathroom, if you were wanting to use it.” 

Cara responded with a small smile, “Thanks, I appreciate it.” She finished organizing the dishes, and decided to use what was left of the hot water to wash off the day. She used Din’s hair towel to adequately dry off, and quickly slipped into her room to throw on some sleeping clothes. She found Din sitting cross legged in one of the living room chairs, dressed in loose pants and a cowl top, bare feet tucked under his body. He was staring blankly ahead, eyebrows furrowed, lips in a firm pout. His right hand rested on the arm of the chair, while the left absentmindedly stroked the stubble on his jaw, in the same spot where Grogu had touched him earlier that day. 

Cara was hesitant to break the silence. She approached Din’s chair, and laid a hand on his while speaking softly, “I think I’m going to head to bed. It’s been such a long day...” She felt a rush, realizing this was the first time she’d ever touched his skin without some sort of barrier. He immediately grabbed her hand in his, and turned to meet her gaze. Eye contact was still uncomfortable for him, so he quickly looked away. 

Din swallowed hard, and with a breaking voice, said almost in a whisper, “I don’t want to be alone tonight...” 

Cara froze. Her mind raced. Does this mean what she thinks it means? If she was being honest with herself, this is something she’d wanted for a long time. A REALLY long time, but was this the RIGHT time? She let go of his hand and asked, “Are...are you sure? You’ve been through so much, I just...”

“I’m sure.” Din locked eyes with Cara, and took her hand once again. In an almost dreamlike state, they ventured from the living room, down the hallway, and stopped in front of Cara’s bedroom door. “Here?” Din purred. 

“Yes.” 

***************************************

They fell into Cara’s bed in a tangle of eager limbs, rumpled sheets, and disheveled clothes. Cara straddled Din’s waist, and ran her hands up his chest while trying to avoid the tender bruises. He winced with pain as she helped him remove his top, then she pulled off her own. Din’s eyes widened at the sight of her bare chest, but he couldn’t bring himself to touch her. She leaned in for a kiss, and their lips and bare torsos came together in an overwhelming rush of skin on skin contact. 

Din’s hands gripped Cara’s muscular back, holding onto her like his life depended on it. The kiss grew deeper and wetter, drawing gasps and moans from both of them. Din’s hands moved to Cara’s hair, and he growled into her mouth, “Give me your tongue.” She did as she was told, and the sensation of him fervently sucking and biting her tongue made her arms grow so weak that she could barely hold herself up on the bed. Her hips instinctively started to grind into his, and she could feel him becoming aroused beneath her. She sat up, exposing her chest to him again, and this time he reached for her breasts with eager hands. He flicked his thumbs over her erect nipples, making her cry out for more. His hands moved down to her hips, as she continued to rock herself against his growing erection. His heart may not have been ready for this, but his body was. In another mad scramble, they both kicked off their pants, and Cara resumed her position on top. They both let out eager moans as Cara lowered herself onto him. It had been so long for either of them, and for Din, this was the most intimate experience of his life. His deep groans turned to high pitched cries as Cara rose up and down, flexing her muscular thighs around his hips with each thrust. She looked down at his beautiful face, smiling to herself as she watched him cry out in ecstasy, letting the pleasure take him out of his own head. She leaned forward to get a better angle, and screamed as he hit her in just the right spot, over and over. Her breasts brushed over his lips, and he caught a nipple in his teeth, causing her to curse between moans. She sat up again, to release some of the heat that had built up between their bodies, tossed her head back, and kept riding at a strong and steady pace. 

Just then, a powerful wave of grief washed over Din, violently pulling him out of the moment, and back into a sea of darkness. His hands flew up to hide his eyes, and tears began to flow down the sides of his face, soaking into the mattress. No, his heart wasn’t ready, and his body was powerless against it. 

Cara opened her eyes, and upon seeing the sobbing man beneath her, slid off of him, and took him in her arms. “Oh my god, baby. Baby, it’s ok...” 

“I’m...sorry...I’m so...sorry”, Din sobbed into her neck. He was shaking uncontrollably, wracked with grief and embarrassment. 

Cara held his head to her chest, stroking his damp hair, and shushing him. “Don’t be sorry. This was too much right now. I mean, it was amazing, but it just wasn’t the right time.” Her collar bone was soaked with Din’s tears as she continued to hold him. Cara’s eyes also filled with tears as she let the emotional weight of the day sink in. She couldn’t believe how small and vulnerable he felt in this moment. A wounded warrior in need of a comforting embrace. Not sex. Not right now.

Din’s breathing steadied, and he began to gently stroke Cara’s arm with his fingers. He broke the silence with a whisper, “How long does it take for a broken heart to heal?”

Cara shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess it depends on the heart.”

“What if the heart has missing pieces?”

“Then... Who knows. It may never heal completely. And that’s ok.” Cara continued to stroke Din’s hair until she heard a tiny snore against her chest. She smiled down at his sleeping face, closed her eyes, and let herself finally get some rest. 

*****************************************

Diffused sunlight filled the room with a golden glow. Din was snoring on the pillow next to Cara’s, and a puddle of drool had collected by his chin. Cara laughed to herself, and reached over to wipe his face with the top sheet. Din woke up with a jerk, temporarily startled by his unfamiliar surroundings. “Whoa, whoa there, buddy,” Cara reassured him. “You’re still with me. Just drooling and snoring away.” 

Din looked down at the drool stained pillow and smirked. A dimple appeared on his cheek, and Cara melted. Gods, how was he so impossibly cute under all of that armor? One of life’s mysteries. 

Din pulled the sheet up under his chin, and gazed at her with big, dark eyes. He still couldn’t believe what had happened the day before, both the good and the bad. It was so much. Too much. He wiped the crud from the corners of his eyes, and asked in a groggy voice, “So, what happens now?”

Cara wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, as the previous day had many, many loose ends in need of tying up. However, her thoughts turned to the most logical next step. She smiled and said, “I think we should get some breakfast.”

“To bring back here?” 

“Mmm, I was thinking we could eat at that cute cafe in the market place. After I apprehended some hoodlums trying to break in a few weeks ago, the owner has been super grateful. She’s always bringing me extra coffee, free pastries, and stuff like that. I think you’d really like it there.” 

Din, who hadn’t eaten a meal in front of other people in decades, was torn. “But they’ll see my face.”

“Think about it, Mando.”

“You can call me Din.”

(Cue internal squeal of joy.)

“Ok, think about it, Din. No one in town has seen your face, so if you don’t wear your armor, no one will even know it’s you. In some weird way, your face is your best disguise. I won’t tell anyone. They’ll never know.” 

Din chewed his lower lip and furrowed his brow. She had a point, and he was very hungry. If it got too weird, they could always ask for their food to go. He reluctantly agreed, and they both got dressed to leave. 

The marketplace was already bustling, and the smell of roasted meats and freshly baked bread filled the air. Din had never seen, heard, or smelled it with his own unfiltered senses, and it was overwhelming. He reached for Cara’s hand, which she delightfully accepted. Townspeople greeted her in the street, doing a double take to get another look at the dark, handsome man at her side. Din felt self conscious, but Cara squeezed his hand in support. They reached the cafe, and settled into a small booth toward the back, away from the door and prying eyes. The owner quickly came to greet them, and started them with strong cups of coffee. “Morning, Marshal Dune! What will you and your...handsome friend be having today?” 

“We need a few minutes to decide, thank you,” Cara said, returning the woman’s friendly smile. 

“Alrighty then, you two just take your time, and enjoy your coffee!” She gave Cara a little wink before fluttering away to help another customer. Cara knew that she was going to be inundated with questions on her next visit, but that was a worry for another day. 

Din was completely out of his element, but after all that he’d been through, he knew he that could survive a quiet brunch at a friendly neighborhood cafe. He wasn’t ready to talk about the events of the day before, but he was ready for coffee, food, and the comforting presence of a trusted friend. A trusted friend who might be able to help him heal his broken heart.


End file.
